1975 Chevy Laguna Parts & Accessories- Makeover Magic

1/63Project Talladega, our resident '75 Laguna NASCAR tribute, is the source for the overwhelming majority of DIY tips in this story. Used independently or in combination, they can visually juice up any Pro Touring project--and not just those with a NASCAR bent.

When we first got the idea to do a Chevy Laguna project car years ago, it occurred to us that these cars had the strongest identity with stock car racing in the '70s. In planning a project direction, it just made the most sense to go with a NASCAR look for this particular body style. As the idea grew, we also realized that the look could be duplicated relatively easy, and with some creativity, it wouldn't cost much. And while other magazines have talked about doing it for years, we're actually the first to pull it off.

We've assembled here the most important fabrication and styling aspects of our '75 Laguna in these 14 mini stories. Most of them were done during or just after our Laguna was painted at Ricky's Customs & Restorations (Apache Junction, Arizona). A lot of the ideas and most of the heavy lifting for the Laguna came from Heath Elmer of Arizona Auto Trim (aka Heath Elmer Restorations, Mesa, Arizona). If you've got a project that needs help, Heath's a great guy to call (602-670-8880). Heath is a rare jack of all trades; he specializes in graphics, but does body and paint, restorations, and best of all, he's got a great eye for detail and style.

We're aware that the stock car racing theme may not resonate with everyone, but there is still a take-away for the roundy-haters: these tips and tricks can be lifted from this story, and they will translate well to other build styles. Our choice of mid-'70s iron may also raise some hackles, and to those purists who only dig '69 Camaros, we say keep an open mind. If we can make a '75 Laguna look cool, just think what these ideas will do for your car!

Custom Steel WheelsWhen we settled on a NASCAR theme for our Pro Touring Laguna, it automatically meant steel wheels, but we were in for a big shock when we found out how inexpensive they were. After measuring our fitment, we special ordered five wheels (gotta have a spare!) in Bassett's D-Hole Lightweight line. For our '75 Laguna, we ordered 15x8-inch wheels with a 5x4.75-inch bolt circle and a 4.5-inch backspacing. We also ordered 1-inch NASCAR-style lugs, 5/8-inch valve stems, and custom bright orange powdercoating. The bill topped out at just $448.95, including freight.

Source:Bassett Racing Wheel888-888-7199www.bassettwheel.com

Tire GraphicsWith our rolling stock settled, we wanted to further exploit the NASCAR theme with big white letters. Traditionally, that would mean Firestone, Goodyear, or Hoosier lettering, but we had Nitto tires. No problem, just hijack the look using a Nitto logo. Fortunately, we were working with Heath Elmer of Arizona Auto Trim on this project, and he was able to quickly download a Nitto logo off the Internet, load it in his graphics program, curve it to our tire diameter, and cut a painting mask out of vinyl. All this took less than an hour's time, and it's inexpensive, too. Additionally, Heath can make painting masks for anything, including bodywork.

Source:Arizona Auto Trim602-670-8880

Dupli-Colorwww.duplicolor.com

Nitto800-581-2984www.nittotire.com

Headlight CoversA headlight block-off cover is a real easy way to send out a race car vibe for a Pro Touring car, especially if you're looking for the NASCAR or Trans Am look. The only problem is that permanently blocking your headlights is illegal for the street, not to mention unsafe. The key is making a block-off that can be easily removed. After making some block-off blanks from sheet aluminum using a template and a waterjet, we discovered some Dzus fasteners from Moroso would give us the quick access we needed, while keeping the race car equipment theme.

Source:Advanced Waterjet714-278-9874www.advancedwj.com

Moroso203-458-0542www.moroso.com

Summit Racing Equipment800-230-3030www.summitracing.com

Zoops951-922-2396www.zoops.com

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Quick Trick: NutsertsAlso known as threadserts, these dandy pieces are useful for adding attachment points to metal surfaces. A nutsert is similar to a rivet: it's installed with a crimping tool that pinches the nutsert around a metal surface in a hole that's the same size as the OD of the nutsert. We used nutserts for our windshield blow-out straps and rear spoiler, and found them easy to use right out of the box the first time out. Threadserts come in a variety of thread sizes (you can get them at Ace Hardware), and once installed, provide a fairly sturdy attachment point that lasts a long time. It's a good alternative to welding tabs or nuts, especially after you've painted a car. These are widely used in race cars, and add a nice repertoire of build choices to the hot rodder's trick bag.

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Quick Trick: RivetingRivets are a staple or race car builders; they're quick, easy, sturdy, and lend any car a distinct race car vibe. We're not saying they're for every car, but if you like your hot rods rough and ready, rivets give you clear fabrication options unavailable from other techniques in the same price range. Riveting two pieces together is shamefully easy--drill your holes, load the right size rivet in the gun, and squeeze. You'll want to practice on a few pieces first, because the rivet gun clips the extra nub off the rivet at the end, sometimes resulting in the tool bouncing on your paintjob! Easy does it, and you're good to go.

Window Block-OffsQuarter-windows, especially the opera windows of mid-'70s cars, are pretty useless. In fact, our Laguna originally had louvered covers that served a strictly decorative function. For some reason, these were missing from our Laguna when we bought it, so we improvised with these aluminum block-off plates. We felt they would look racier than the louvers, and we could make them faster (and cheaper) than we could find original louvers. The original NASCAR stockers used the factory louvers, and it's painfully obvious from looking at period photos that they did so because they were required, otherwise they would've done what we did!

Source:Advanced Waterjet714-278-9874www.advancedwj.com

Start With A RenderingAs much as you may be tempted to jump right in with both feet, just remember that few people have the ability to visualize a project in their head and follow it through. It's also a problem when other vendors or shops get involved who cannot see what's floating in your head. Take the time to produce a good rendering, stick to it, and provide it to all parties--you'll be rewarded in the end. After seeing Chris Gray's rendering of a fantasy 1970 Chevy Nova Trans Am car, we knew he had the chops to pull off our NASCAR Laguna idea. Chris did about a half dozen versions for us before we settled on this one. Chris works on computer, so once the body template has been modeled, it's relatively easy for him to change out graphics and color schemes. If you work with an artist who draws freehand, changes are going to be more costly. Chris charged us $500, but he also had to render a complete 3D body shape for a '75 Laguna--which jacked the price up. If he's already done a body style--say a '69 Camaro--the price is much less.

Source:Chris Graywww.cgmachines.com

Vinyl GraphicsConverting a fresh rendering onto a real car calls for special equipment and special skills. You'll need someone to produce your graphics, and Heath Elmer of Arizona Auto Trim is one of the best. Most graphics can be applied at home with a few tools such as a razor blade and masking tape, but you only get one chance to get it right. Heath can do a graphics package like the one on our Laguna for about $400, including the installation. (It runs about half that if you do the install yourself.) Compared to having graphics painted on, it's a lot less expensive, and it's temporary, too (in case you change your mind or mess up). Vinyl graphics like this typically last 6-7 years when stored outside--just make sure to use top-quality exterior vinyl like the Calon Arlon line Heath uses.

Source:Arizona Auto Trim602-670-8880

Cut SpringsMaybe the proper title for this tip is "Don't Be A Dork!" Seriously, if you drop thousands on parts and spend years working on your car and it still looks like a refugee from Hurricane Katrina, then it's time to quit. Cutting your coil springs is a relatively unsophisticated and cheap way to arrive at the right stance, and within reason, won't cause any handling problems. You were planning on upgrading your suspension later on anyway, so why not make the stock springs work for you in the meantime? Later on, we'll be putting legit suspension parts under Project Talladega, but until then, we can have some fun with the junker stock springs.

Narrow The BumperThe '70s had some inspired automotive designs that were almost always destroyed by fugly bumpers. Like the '76 Camaro that we finished last year, our '75 Laguna also suffers from big-ass bumpers. (Chevelle and Malibu owners of this year also have a massive front bumper to deal with, but we're lucky that our Laguna has a sleek aero nose, so we kept the front as-is.) Our huge rear bumper can fortunately be corrected with simple surgery, and since we planned on painting it, we didn't need to have it rechromed. Our operation consisted of cutting roughly 4 inches out of its width, shortening the mounting tubes by 2.5 inches, and trimming the urethane filler panels.

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Quick Trick: Waterjet CuttingWe discovered our local waterjet shop (Advanced Waterjet) a few years ago, and wondered why we didn't use them sooner. While owning your own waterjet machine is prohibitive, it's very inexpensive to design templates for custom parts, and have them cut out at your local job shop. You'll feel the pride of designing your own parts that nobody else has, yet that everybody wants. And in our experience, it's very inexpensive, too. All the parts we've made in this story came from Advanced Waterjet in Anaheim, CA (714-278-9874, (www.advancedwj.com). The digital templates for all our parts are on file, and can be ordered directly from Advanced, or you can send them your own template. They'll scan it, verify it with you, and cut it. (You can even have a dummy part cut out of masonite.) A week's turnaround time is pretty normal for most small jobs like ours.

Hood Extractor VentsMaking convincing-looking hood vents with a race-inspired look was a lot easier than we thought. Once you get past the idea of cutting holes in a perfectly good hood that nobody repops, you're home free. Naturally, we made a cardboard template for a bezel first, then sent it out to our waterjet guy for cutting. (If you've got a Laguna, Advanced Waterjet has our template already on file, or they can cut one to your specification with a template you provide.) Once we had a piece we were comfortable with, we put the cutoff wheel to the hood to cut out the stamped factory vents. We start out here after the waterjet bezels were cut, the hood was cut to the bezel size, and the car was painted.

Source:Advanced Waterjet714-278-9874www.advancedwj.com

Trunk PinsYou've seen hoodpins before, and you've seen these particular hoodpins before in PHR--they're the billet pieces from Hoodpins.net. Unlike your average chrome-plated speed shop variety of hood pins, these won't rust, and they have a precision machined look to them (they're billet aluminum). A pair cost $115, and the lanyard kit runs $36. To get the look we were after, we ordered three pairs of hood pins and lanyards--four hoodpins for the hood, and two to use as trunk pins! (This operation cost us $453 in total.) The ones on the hood are pretty straightforward, so you'll be able to figure those out on your own. The key thing is to pick a spot that has a good mounting point on the radiator core support, and a corresponding flat spot on the hood. Here, we're showing you the far more interesting job of making trunk pins. Note that in preparation for this, we removed the trunk lock and blanked it over when the Laguna was painted.

Source:Hoodpins.net/Wilson Muscle Cars616-361-7160www.Hoodpins.net

Window StrapsIf you're going to sell the race car theme on a Pro Touring car, window straps are an instantly recognized cue. It just so happens that the aluminum straps they sell in Home Depot to secure water heaters to the wall are the perfect size and shape for this, and they're dirt cheap. While we were at Home Depot, we also got some foam strips that are used to seal between a window and a wall-unit air conditioner. They have an adhesive backing that can attach to the strap, and protect your window from the vibrating strap. The only other special ingredient you'll need is a nutsert tool, which we found at Ace Hardware.

Race-Style Gas CapA race-style fuel-filler door is a great way to add a race vibe to a street car, and we've seen it done a multitude of ways, from the motorcycle-style latch cap found on Steven Rupp's Bad Penny '68 Camaro, to aircraft hardware on winning show cars. This Cobra-style fuel cap kit for early model Mustangs is the first time we've seen a specific retro kit, and it's offered by a company called Mustalgia for $229.95. They also offer a C3 Corvette ('68-77) version for $249.95. The kits include a 2.25-inch ID fuel filler hose to connect from the new Le Mans cap to the existing tank. The cap can be oriented in any direction and locked in place. Underneath the flip-top cap is a Stant brand vented, locking fuel cap that snaps into the machined aluminum base. All hardware is stainless steel, and is included.

Source:Mustalgia/R&R Specialties423-663-9816www.mustalgia.com

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Quick Trick: Spray BombingAll hail the spray bomb! There's very little in the world of hot rodding-dom that can't benefit from a good hosedown of Krylon, Dupli-Color, or VHT. Virtually any part on a car can look as good as new with a thorough cleaning and a quick coating of the good stuff. We typically use Dupli-Color (www.duplicolor.com) because they have a vast assortment that covers a lot of applications. Some of our favorites: Chrome, Wheel Coating, Vinyl & Fabric Coating, Truck Bed Coating (good for a whole lot of stuff), Spatter Paint, Metalcast, Engine Enamel/High Heat, Caliper Paint, and the old standby: General Purpose Satin Black!

Improved SeatingWhile most of our makeover tips are exterior in nature, a few interior pieces are significant enough to go beyond cockpit nuance. The proper seats are such an item, and we chose the Procar Rally Series 1000 seats for our Laguna project for three reasons: they had the right look, they were the right price, and they are well built for our purposes. To do a period-correct muscle car, we just don't favor a high-back import-style seat, but we do want head and side-bolster support. The Procar seat isn't excessively tall, and has a nice adjustable headrest in the style of a '60s or '70s muscle car. The lateral support on the seat back and seat bottom are also very effective, while maintaining a period-correct stitching and vinyl style. Pricewise, we paid only $736.90 for a matching pair in black vinyl, including the seat brackets for a '75 Laguna. Most people think these are OEM equipment, but in reality, they're way more supportive, and look the part up close, and from a distance.

Source:Procar By Scat310-370-5501www.procarbyscat.com

Console RehabSome interior components make an important visual statement about your car, and your center console is one of them. At the very minimum, having a crappy looking console can really detract from an otherwise nice car. From a budget perspective, rehabbing a console is so inexpensive that anybody can afford to do it. Our options on the Laguna were limited: you can't get a reproduction one, and NOS items are outrageously expensive, if you can even find them. We could build something custom, like we did with our '68 Chevelle, but this time we opted to do a quick and easy home restoration. All you need is some mild dish detergent, a Scotch-Brite pad, and a can of Dupli-Color HVP106 flat black Vinyl & Fabric Coating.

WHERE THE MONEY WENT

{{{Summit}}} Part Number:

Description:

Summit price:

SCA-{{{80}}}-1000-51L

Driver-side seat

$301.50

SCA-80-1000-51R

Passenger seat

$301.50

SCA-81140

Driver-side seat bracket

$ 66.95

SCA-81141

Passenger-side seat bracket

$ 66.95

Total:

$736.90

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Quick Trick: Aluminum GrainingCustom-fabricated aluminum pieces can be built in a variety of ways, but how you choose to finish them off can make or break the look. Aluminum doesn't rust, but it does oxidize white. Some more expensive options include anodizing, painting, or powdercoating, but the least expensive (yet one of the nicest) options is graining. This amounts to using an abrasive pad like Scotch-Brite in a uniform direction. The finish will be a soft satin grained look, and will last a few months before oxidizing white again. The trick is to grain your aluminum with a light spritz of WD40. This will shield the aluminum from oxidizing, and give your work a deeper, shinier grain that lasts a long time.

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Quick Trick: PowdercoatingIf you're looking for a finish that's more durable than paint, such as exterior trim items that are exposed to high-speed debris, or underhood items that see excessive temperature, powdercoating may be a better option than painting or spray bombing. Many of the trim pieces on Project Talladega were powdercoated instead of painted. Most of our window trim, headlight bezels, grille pieces, and marker light surrounds were powdercoated by Extreme Powder Coating in Mesa, AZ (480-832-9034). They matched our satin black paint so closely that it's impossible to tell the difference between powdercoat and paint. The same goes for our Bassett steel wheels, which were powdercoated to a perfect match with our vinyl graphics.